Early treatment was crucial, according to the OCHCA, which said the disease was nearly always fatal once symptoms begin to appear.

Rabies symptoms were described as being similar to the flu virus, “including general weakness or discomfort, fever or headache,” the CDC stated.

Anyone who had physical contact with the bat or saw someone else in contact with the bat was asked to call Orange County Health Care Agency Epidemiology at 714-834-8180 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 714-834-7792 after hours to determine their risk for rabies.